Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative

Table of Contents

• Steal Like an Artist
• Don't Wait Until You Know Who You Are
• Write the Book You Want to Read
• Use Your Hands
• Side Projects and Hobbies
• The Secret: Do Good Work and Share It

Steal Like an Artist

Austin Kleon begins with a liberating truth: Nothing is original. All creative work builds on what came before. Every artist gets asked, "Where do you get your ideas?" The honest answer is, "I steal them."

This doesn't mean plagiarism. Plagiarism is trying to pass someone else's work off as your own. Stealing like an artist means honoring, studying, remixing, mashing up, and transforming. It means finding the "genealogy of ideas."

Kleon advises us to look at the world in only two ways: things worth stealing and things not worth stealing. He suggests keeping a "Swipe File"—a folder (physical or digital) where you keep everything that inspires you.

Don't Wait Until You Know Who You Are

Many people suffer from "Imposter Syndrome." They feel like they need to figure out who they are before they can start creating. Kleon argues the opposite: You figure out who you are by creating.

He encourages "fake it 'til you make it." Pretend to be the artist you want to be. Copy your heroes. At first, your work will look like theirs. That's okay. It's through the process of copying that you will eventually find your own voice. You fail to copy them perfectly, and in that gap, you find yourself.

Write the Book You Want to Read

The common advice is "write what you know." Kleon says this leads to boring work. Instead, write what you like. Write the story you want to read. Paint the picture you want to look at. Build the business you want to run.

If you create things that you yourself are passionate about, you will find an audience that shares that passion.

Use Your Hands

We live in a digital world, but creativity is an analog process. Computers are great for editing and publishing, but they are bad for generating ideas. They make us perfectionists too early. We start worrying about fonts and alignment before we have a solid idea.

Kleon suggests stepping away from the screen. Use markers, pens, paper, index cards, scissors. Engage your body. Move things around. When you use your hands, you stimulate your brain in a different way.

Side Projects and Hobbies

Don't throw any of yourself away. The work you do when you're procrastinating is often the work you should be doing. These "side projects" are where the magic happens because the stakes are low and you're just playing.

He also emphasizes the importance of hobbies—something you do just for the love of it, with no intention of making money or getting famous. Hobbies keep you fresh. They provide a sanctuary from the pressure of your "real" work.

The Secret: Do Good Work and Share It

For most of history, you had to wait for a gatekeeper (publisher, gallery owner, agent) to pick you. Now, the gatekeepers are gone. The internet allows you to reach an audience directly.

The formula for success is simple (but not easy): 1. Do good work. 2. Share it with people.

Kleon advocates for "showing your work." Don't just share the finished product; share the process. Share your sketches, your influences, your failures. Let people see behind the curtain. This builds a connection with your audience.